Mail-box.



|NVENTOR Patented Feb. 25, |902.

M. M. CDNKLIN.

MAIL BOX '(Applicntiqn led Feb. 9. 1901.)

(un Model.)

WITNESSES:

a'ax? ha. ai z///w ATTORNEYV Nonms PETERS co., PHOYOLTHD., wAsmNoN, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

MELVIN 'll/I. OONKLIN, AOF FLMIRA, NE

CORNELIUS B. MATHER,

MAIL-BOX.

, srEcrFIoATIoN forming part of Letters P atent No. 694,053, dated February 25, 1902.

Application filed February 9 1901. Serial No. 46.637. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, MELvIN M. OoNxLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elmira, in the county of Chemung and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to improvements in mail-boxes intended to be used in connection with the rural deliveryservice, and has for its object to provide a weather-proof box of this nature in which theincomng and outgoing mail-matter may be kept separate and which shall be of simple and cheap construction and also wherein the incoming mail-matter may be locked to all except the owner of the box and the outgoing mail-matter to all except the postman, one key in the possession of the postman serving to unlock all the outgoing-mail compartments of all the boxes on his route and the incoming-mail compartments of the dif- Jferent boxes being controlled by dierent keys in the possession of their respective owners. I attain this object by means of a box arranged and constructed substantially in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Y Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the box with the weather-lid open; Fig.`2, aside elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a vertical transverse cross-section, and Fig. 4 a detail showing a signal attachment.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughoutthe several views. g

A represents an oblong box, the ends of which are semicircular inform at the top, the box being provided at the front with an opening a, extending across the entire length of the box, and the back of the box being brought up over the curved top, as shown in Fig. 3.

B is a longitudinal partition, which divides the box into the two compartments C and D, the compartment C being accessible by way of the opening a, which opening is closed by the lid E, which conforms to the curve of the top of the box, and is pivoted at each side at e c. Access to compartment D is attained through compartment C by way of a door F, which is hinged at the lower side of a longitudinal slot in the partition B, this slot extending practically the full length of the box. A springlock G secures the door F when thrown up into vertical position, as indicated in Fig. 3.

staple h projects from the outer side of this door, so that when it is thrown down into the position indicated inthe broken lines at F in Figs. 1 and 3 it will be locked in that position by means of a spring-lock H. The

bottom b of the box is slightly raised, thereby 6o providing a depending iange around the entire box, whereby it may be attached to a post or other support.

J represents a signal-plate which is pivoted to a rod I, attached to the lid E at the uppermost portion thereof when the lid is in closed position, as shown in Fig. 3. A wire standard L, bent into the form shown, serves to hold the signal-plate in an upright position when the plate is thrown up into a verti- 7o cal position, this being accomplished by sliding the plate along the bar I between 'the lips of the standard L.

In operation the owner of the box if he has mail to be taken up by the letter-carrier will place such mail-matter in the bottom c of the compartment C, at the same time unlocking the door F and throwing it down into the position indicated at F', in which position it becomeslocked by means ofjthe lock H, and 8o no one except the letter-carrier who holds the key to this lock can then get at this mail. The lid E is then thrown down, and the contents of the box are thereby thoroughly protected from inclemency of the weather. At the same time the owner throws up the signal-plate J into the position shown in Fig. 3, thereby n0- tifying the letter-carrier that there is mailmatter. to be taken up from the box. If the letter-carrier has mail for the owner of the 9o box, he places such mail-matter in the compartment D and throws up the cover F into its vertical position, thereby locking the incoming mail-matter in the compartment D and disclosing the outgoing mail, which he then removes, closing the lid E and leaving the signal-plate .l in its elevated position to indicate to the owner that there is mail in the box for him. If the postman has no mail for the box, after removing the outgoing mail he roo will throw the signal-plate J down after closing the lid F..

y any suitable material.

mail-matterbefore placing the incoming mailmatter in the compartment D, and in which case also the depth of the box may be lessened, thereby doing away entirely with the subcompartment c. The box may be made ot As illustrated, it is formed of sheet metal, such as galvanized iron; but it may equally Well be made of cast iron, if so desired.

Having thus described my improvements,

what I claim as my invention, and desire to.

secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A mail-box comprising an inner and an outer compartment, a longitudinal partition separating' said compartments, an aperture in said partition through which mail-matter is deposited in and removed from the inner compartment by Way of the outer compartment, said inner compartment being other- Wise closed, a door for said aperture provided with a spring-lock and a closure for the outer compartment, whereby mail deposited in the outer compartment may be taken therefrom by the mail-carrier, but mail deposited in the inner compartment by the carrier can only be removed therefrom by the possessor ol' the key to said lock.

2. A mail-box comprising an inner and an outer compartment, a longitudinal partition separating said compartments, an aperture in the upper part of said partition through which mail-matter is deposited in and removed from the inner compartment by Way of the outer compartment, said inner compartment being otherwise closed, a door for said aperture hinged at its lower edge, said door opening into the outer compartment and when thrown down into a horizontal position closing off a subcompartment therein, separate spring-locks for locking said door in its vertical and horizontal positions respectively, as and for the purpose set forth, and a closure for the outer compartment.

3. In a mail-box of the type described, the combination, with the curved lid, of a signalplate hinged upon a rod attached to and running parallel with the top of the lid at its uppermost edge when in closed position, said plate being slidable upon said rod, and a forked standard rising from the lid to receive said plate Whenvin elevated position.

In testimony whereof I have aliixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

MELVIN M. CONKLIN.

lVitnesses:

C. B. MATHER, EDITH L. MILLER. 

